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Submitted by Trish Munro
In 1987, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Constitution, the Center for Civic Education began the nationwide We the People program to promote “civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s upper elementary and secondary students.”
Divided into six units, the program takes students from the historical, philosophical, and theological background underlying the Constitution, through the debates around its content, up to the challenges of the present. Simply assimilating the content would be a feat for anyone. However, students are not simply given an exam. Rather, the program culminates in simulated congressional hearings, in which students work in small groups to present to a set of judges.
The presentations begin with a prepared statement, showing basic mastery of the subject. It is in the follow-up questions that students show their ability to think through the implications of their answers, to respond to challenges, and apply raw knowledge to current problems.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of observing the State Hearings. I saw hundreds of students from across the state talking, discussing, and practicing their work. The teams of three to five students presented their knowledge collaboratively and with relative confidence.
They worked hard to apply that knowledge to understand societal problems, both historical and current. Here are a few questions these students addressed:
- 1. What were the Protestant Reformation’s key theological and philosophical concepts, and how did they challenge traditional notions of individual agency and religious freedom?
- 2. How did the 14th Amendment alter the meaning of the three-fifths clause, and, in your estimation, did it provide full citizenship for African Americans?
- 3. How would you account for the origins of political parties, and how have they impacted the checks and balances embedded in the U.S. Constitution?
- 4. Has the Constitution’s “take care” clause that the laws be faithfully executed placed a duty on the president and expanded presidential power? Why or why not?
- 5. Who should determine whether certain books should be banned or access to them should be restricted, and what criteria should they use?
- 6. What opportunities does globalization provide for grassroots movements, civil society organizations, or individuals to influence global agendas and shape international norms?
Every generation worries about the next. These kids should allay some of those fears and give us all hope for the future. More information on We the People can be found at www.civiced.org/we-the-people.
